Don’t know if this is allowed here or not but I’m just so proud of this Rosemary, Sundried Tomato, and Sea Salt Sourdough Focaccia I made. First bread I’ve made with my starter and I’m just so happy with how it turned out. Don’t even care that I burned some of the sundried tomatoes on top.
Why wouldn’t it be allowed? You used starter to bake a thing! Welcome to the world of fermentation!!! As far as tips go, I have a few. I LOVE making focaccia since it’s super tasty, and a lot easier to nail than a good boule.
1. For a deeper flavor, overnight proof your dough then transfer directly to your WELL oiled baking dish for the loooong final proof. If you apply some of the same principles as boule baking you can achieve a really deep, sour, complex flavor. This works best with a high hydration dough. When I lived in the desert I’d go as high as 85%. 2. Once it gets to the point where it’s about to spill over the sides, grease your fingers up and agitate it to hell. You want to dip your fingers in and really wiggle them around. It helps the bubbles come up. Careful though because too much agitation will cause it to collapse. You’ll figure out what your dough can handle as you get to know your starter. 3. While equipment isn’t that important here, it does help. Lloyd’s Pans are perfect for focaccia. I had hell with Pyrex sticking no matter what. Still enjoyed every bite, but it sometimes required some scraping and some ugly pieces 4. Try strong bread flour! The high gluten content will make your bread super happy (and your starter, trust me) 5. Have fun! Focaccia is super forgiving. It’s a great bread to experiment with different techniques, proofing methods, fermentation times, flavors, etc. No matter what you do you’re gonna have something tasty to reward you for your efforts.
Lastly, you and your starter are on this journey together. As you get better, so will your starter. As your starter gets better, so will you. The most important thing here is to keep baking. I found the best results with my bread when I didn’t refrigerate it because I was using it every few days. A loaf on the weekend and one or two focaccias each week. My starter never rested and got really strong.
Sorry for the long response. I just fucking love focaccia. Congrats again on making your first loaf!!!
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https://alexandracooks.com/2019/03/22/simple-sourdough-focaccia-a-beginners-guide/
Why wouldn’t it be allowed? You used starter to bake a thing! Welcome to the world of fermentation!!!
As far as tips go, I have a few. I LOVE making focaccia since it’s super tasty, and a lot easier to nail than a good boule.
1. For a deeper flavor, overnight proof your dough then transfer directly to your WELL oiled baking dish for the loooong final proof. If you apply some of the same principles as boule baking you can achieve a really deep, sour, complex flavor. This works best with a high hydration dough. When I lived in the desert I’d go as high as 85%.
2. Once it gets to the point where it’s about to spill over the sides, grease your fingers up and agitate it to hell. You want to dip your fingers in and really wiggle them around. It helps the bubbles come up. Careful though because too much agitation will cause it to collapse. You’ll figure out what your dough can handle as you get to know your starter.
3. While equipment isn’t that important here, it does help. Lloyd’s Pans are perfect for focaccia. I had hell with Pyrex sticking no matter what. Still enjoyed every bite, but it sometimes required some scraping and some ugly pieces
4. Try strong bread flour! The high gluten content will make your bread super happy (and your starter, trust me)
5. Have fun! Focaccia is super forgiving. It’s a great bread to experiment with different techniques, proofing methods, fermentation times, flavors, etc. No matter what you do you’re gonna have something tasty to reward you for your efforts.
Lastly, you and your starter are on this journey together. As you get better, so will your starter. As your starter gets better, so will you. The most important thing here is to keep baking. I found the best results with my bread when I didn’t refrigerate it because I was using it every few days. A loaf on the weekend and one or two focaccias each week. My starter never rested and got really strong.
Sorry for the long response. I just fucking love focaccia. Congrats again on making your first loaf!!!